Meeting An Angel
by Nata
Summary: Collins' thoughts when he meets Angel for the first time; 'You Okay, Honey?'. Sort of a song fic. Kinda. Again, written at three AM.


I called.   
  
For a fleeting second, I thought that Roger'd gotten off his ass and decided to live again. But of course, Mark had answered. Collins! He said, surprised, happy -wow, who'd' a thunk it? Someone happy to see me?- But with my luck, three or four people in dirty clothes, rags, really, much like mine were standing outside the telephone booth. Muggers. "I may be detained." I said, dropping the phone, turning around to face the fire, as they say. I heard Mark say something to someone else, Rog, probably, unless Mark had finally lost it and was now talking to himself.   
  
I didn't hear much else besides my scream.   
  
The first blow came hard and fast, I didn't have time to run away or block, and defend myself. The one dressed in mostly brown slammed his palm into my nose. What a sissy, you're thinking. But no, it felt like a thousand knives plunged into my brain, and black flashed before my eyes. You know how they say, when you're dying, your life flashes before your eyes? Well, it's true. When I was little- in the streets with my mother. Crying and hugging my father, as he died on the couch of the cardboard flat we'd rented so long ago. Then a picture of me in school. The first day. Nervous and looking like a dork as usual.   
  
Then I was falling. Falling. I succumbed to the dark of what I thought was death. It's over, I thought... But it wasn't. Is anything ever really over? After what seemed like hours, painful, bleeding hours. (But it wasn't. Only fifteen minutes, at the most.)  
  
I saw an Angel.   
  
I heard Christmas bells ringing somewhere else, not here, I smirked darkly. My first thought was, "So God IS gay!" The lovely Angel was not-so-obviously male. He... she, because I realized that the angel was a drag-queen by then; not that she was in drag at the moment, but because I'd always had a knack for telling. And I thought that this might be fun in heaven, when she... he spoke.   
  
"You okay, honey?"  
  
"I'm afraid so." Maybe I wasn't dead. What angel would ask if I was okay? I was in heaven... everything is okay there, or so I'm told.   
  
"They get any money?"  
  
"No... " I answered, "Had none to get." smiling like a schoolboy with a crush. What the fuck? Was this really me? I was Collins! The gruff, tough pansy! Looking down automatically, blushing furiously, I sighed. They -had- gotten the one nice thing I owned. "But they purloined my coat..." Angry, I yelled at in the direction I assumed that the bastards had run. "Well you missed a sleeve!" They'd stolen a wonderful coat, and ruined it! What the hell was the world coming to these days? The angel helped me up, and I felt my face go hotter than it had been. "Thanks." I muttered, still unable to look him in the face.   
  
"Hell, it's Christmas eve... I'm Angel."   
  
I swallowed, so I'd been right. He -was- an Angel. "Angel... Indeed." finally daring to look at him, I nearly choked. He looked beautiful in a plain coat, hat and ... well, sparkly jeans. There was also a drum set a few yards away. And a cup of money, and a sign hastily pasted to it, 'Poor', it read. I smirked. That wasn't unusual. Everyone was poor here. I looked up into the bright blue eyes that were so deep, I thought I could fall in them.   
  
"An Angel of the first degree." Smiling, my eyes fell on a set of Christmas lights strung up on the building and the junked piled up in the alley around us. A few lights even glittered on the phone booth, that had gone unnoticed earlier.   
  
"Friends call me Collins, Tom Collins... Nice tree... " I relaxed. Now I didn't feel like a fool for not introducing myself! One victory, anyway.   
  
"Let's get a band aid for your knee!" Angel said, and I looked down at the new rip in my jeans. Yes, there was a bloody gash there. Funny I hadn't noticed it.   
  
"I'll change!" He continued, seemingly unconscious to what I was doing. "There's a life support meeting at Nine-Thirty!" I looked up again. So he had ... it... too? "Yes, this body provides a comfortable home for the acquired immune deficiency syndrome!"   
  
Someone else! I smiled warmly. But sadly, this lovely soul would die in the same way that I would. But at least Angel ... didn't seem to care? I wished for a second that I didn't, either. I told myself I didn't...  
  
But I didn't want to die. "-As does mine... "   
  
"We'll get alone -fine-!" He chirped happily, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. I suddenly though of Mark and Roger, and the 'wild night' I'd promised them. Well, I thought... I -did- say I'd be detained! So maybe I -would- stay for a little longer...   
  
"Get you a coat, grab a bite, and make a night!"   
  
I sighed, oh no. I hope he didn't think I could pay. I looked down at my grungy self. Now my pants were even more ripped up than usual, and my cotton shirt, and flannel jacket were mud-stained and patched up hundreds of times. I nearly cried as I spoke next. I couldn't embarrass Angel and myself by going out in public looking like a veritable piece of trash that I most certainly looked...   
  
"-But my friends are waiting... "  
  
Angel just giggled, and pulled me closer, "You're cute when you blush! The more the merry-ho-ho-ho!"   
  
I couldn't say anything... do anything, but smile stupidly, following him clumsily.   
  
"And I do not take no!"  
  
-----  
  
AN: Thanks, Angel Of The First Degree and SUnny Monster. I fixed it. :D I can't believe I forgot that ... Hehe. :) Thanks! 


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